In the heart-wrenching proceedings of an ongoing court trial, a video was presented, illustrating the grievous moment when a woman, who fatally struck a nine-year-old girl, was charged by the police. The incident contemplated here, dates back to September 9, 2021, when young Baeleigh Maurice was crossing a West 33rd street pathway on her scooter to attend school and tragically got hit by Taylor Kennedy’s vehicle.
Kennedy is facing charges for driving while under the influence of drugs, namely for having a THC level in her blood exceeding the allowable limit, leading to a fatality. When confronted at the scene of the accident, Kennedy confessed to the police she had consumed marijuana and taken small doses of magic mushrooms a day earlier.
The police, based on this admission, subjected her to an oral swab drug test on the spot. As the results of the test were awaited, Kennedy, seated in a police SUV, shares a light-hearted conversation with Const. Blake Atkinson, discussing trivial subjects like food, reality television and TikTok. This conversation was recorded by cameras installed in the police vehicle.
The amiable interaction came to an abrupt end when the drug test returned positive for THC and Const. Atkinson, with a gravity-laden voice, informed Kennedy of her arrest, eliciting from her cries of despair. Her desperate pleas and heartrending sobs echoing in the courtroom led to the withdrawal of some of the gallery members.
“I did not do anything…Take my license, please.”, Kennedy appealed to Constable Atkinson, her voice dropping to an almost inaudible level as she intermittently wailed, “It was an accident, please!”
Distressed as she was, Kennedy was seen buried in the prisoner’s box, bent over with her hands covering her ears, while the incriminating video replayed in the courtroom. Const. Atkinson then proceeded to inform Kennedy of the charges against her, and for the first time post her arrest, reads her rights, including the right to legal representation. Kennedy was officially informed of her rights 64 minutes post her presence in the police vehicle, as per court information.
The trial, now in the stage of an admissibility hearing, also known as ‘voir dire’, is ongoing to decide whether the aforementioned evidence can be admissible in court. Presided over by Judge Jane Marie Wootten, the trial has been recessed until February, wherein additional evidence is scheduled to be introduced.
